612065 Tue Apr 14 16:28:16 -0700 2009 11 31 Home Cooking 0 4596022 It's a big hole in my cooking, but I have never made a lemon meringue pie. Not even a lousy one. But my mom's been hankering for one recently, and I'd like to make one for her 84th birthday this week, instead of a cake. Looking through my cookbooks and on-line, I realized that I don't really know how to judge that one recipe might be better than another. So, do any of you have a favorite lemon meringue pie recipe? I want recipes that you make and love, so please don't take time to google for one. I can do that myself, and have already. If you could include a brief explanation of why you prefer your recipe (i.e., more or less lemon than most, more or less cornstarch, a "secret" technique, etc.), it would be most helpful. I'm not looking for what I think of as northeastern diner versions of lemon meringue pie, but that ethereal, wonderful, lighter-than-air-but-with-a-big-flavor thing your aunt or grandmother or lady down the street--or you--made or makes. Also, I'm cool on the pastry...it's the filling I need. Thanks for your help. Tue Apr 14 16:28:16 -0700 2009 81822 Old Spice 1 4596136 I don't have the recipe in hand, but I always use the filling recipe from Fannie Farmer. Why? Because it is heavy on both lemon and cornstartch and yields the best flavor with a reliably firm texture. No weepy, runny fillings. Plenty of lemon zing. The key is to let the cornstarch develop by cooking long enough before adding the lemon juice and egg yolk. Again, I don't have the particulars in front of me but I have to cook it longer than they say, being sure to stir constantly and vigorously, carefully scraping into the 'corners' of the sauce pan to ensure an even texture. When it starts to feel firm, keep going. I'm sure it is possible to overcook the cornstarch mix at this stage, but I have never done so. The only pitfall I've had has been the occasional cornstarchy lump which can be avoided by stirring like crazy. The other key to color, flavor, and I think it adds to the firmness, is plenty of lemon zest. Tue Apr 14 16:57:43 -0700 2009 4596022 261092 BernalKC 2 4596240 link to the Fannie Farmer recipe: http://www.post-gazette.com/food/19991209eggwhites2b.asp Tue Apr 14 17:34:24 -0700 2009 4596136 103920 goodhealthgourmet 3 4598078 Curious. I read this yesterday and knew it was not the recipe I use. And it does not match my directions above. Turns out the link one is from "The Fannie Farmer Baking Book" which is different. Here is my transcription [with commentary] of the one I use -- which I think is much better because it cooks the cornstarch mix first: - pre-baked pie shell - merignue topping - the filling: 4Tbs corn starch 4Tbs flour 1/4tsp salt 1 1/24 c sugar 1 1/2 c water grated rind of 1 lemon 1/2 c lemon juice 2Tbs butter 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten Mix the cornstarch, flour, salt, sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. [Yeah, right. Longer is better. You cannot make it thicker later. Now is the time.] Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, and butter. Stir 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then stir the yolks into the remaining hot mixture. Cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes. [Since the eggs are in the mix now, don't mess with this time too much.] Let cool a bit. Spread the filling in the pie shell. Cover with the meringue [being sure to mush the meringue to the crust edges to make sure the meringue adheres to the crust]. Run under the broiler until the meringue peaks are lightly browned. Wed Apr 15 10:02:08 -0700 2009 4596240 261092 BernalKC 4 4598602 who knew? :) thanks for the clarification! Wed Apr 15 12:26:39 -0700 2009 4598078 103920 goodhealthgourmet 4 4598883 I've found that putting the filling in while still pretty warm seems to keep the meringue from weeping. My recipe is very much like yours except I leave out the lemon zest. Prefer the taste of just the juice. Wed Apr 15 13:32:37 -0700 2009 4598078 11389 Plano Rose 4 4602947 BernalKC, thanks for the Fanny Farmer recommendation. That's the one I used today and it was exactly what I was looking for. Right texture and nice and tart. We all enjoyed it. It's a keeper. Thu Apr 16 18:56:38 -0700 2009 4598078 81822 Old Spice 5 4603036 Great. Glad it worked out for you. Thu Apr 16 19:32:38 -0700 2009 4602947 261092 BernalKC 4 5157974 Thanks for the correction; however, I am using the 12th (1980) edition of the FF Cookbook and find, on page 589, that the recipe instructs that the cornstarch mixture be cooked "over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, then cook 10 minutes more, stirring frequently, until clear." The instructions continue: "Remove from the heat. Stir 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then stir the yolks into the remaining hot mixture [return to the heat] and cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon rind, lemon juice, and butter. Let cool a bit. Spread the lemon mixture in the baked pie shell and cover with the meringue." This is my recipe of choice, and I've never had it fail. Thu Nov 05 08:26:33 -0800 2009 4598078 1121948 dabrar 5 5158066 Wow, that is interesting. I'm looking at the 13th edition right now and it is almost exactly the same, except the key instruction: "then cook 10 minutes more, stirring frequently, until clear" is missing! The rest of your copy matches mine. I ad libbed a bit and added my own commentary to my transcription in the other steps. I started making this recipe using my mom's tattered FF. She had at least one older edition that was in pieces -- from the 30's as I recall. My first copy of FF is an old, tattered, falling apart book that I keep in my basement for archaeological curiosity... and somewhere in that history I learned to cook the cornstarch mixture for a good long time before adding the eggs. One wonders why they altered the recipe in the 13th edition? Thu Nov 05 09:00:34 -0800 2009 5157974 261092 BernalKC 1 4599142 Well, I use Jello lemon pudding (the kind that must be cooked, not instant). It calls for sugar and egg yolk, but I use fresh lemon juice in place of about 2 -3 tablespoons of the water called for. Also I add some finely grated peel from the same lemon. I suspect the Jello mix is mainly cornstarch anyway. It works fine. Wed Apr 15 14:45:29 -0700 2009 4596022 42470 blue room 1 5158275 Funny lemon meringue story: I worked with a waitress years ago and we got into a conversation about lemon meringue pie. She told me that when she first got married and didn't know how to cook, her new husband requested the pie, so she made hm one. All went well with the filling, but she didn't get the concept of meringue and simply spread raw egg white, mixed with a little sugar, on top of the pie, then popped in into the oven to brown. Must have been a culinary delight! Glad you got you recipe. Thu Nov 05 10:07:46 -0800 2009 4596022 1095104 bushwickgirl